Glasgow to phase out single-use plastics by 2022

Glasgow City Council is aiming to phase out single-use plastics by 2022 as part of a wider strategy to eliminate all “unnecessary plastic” by 2030.

A 24-point action plan, which will be subjected to annual review, has been developed after an online public consultation this summer gathered over 1,500 respondents expressing wide support for action to reduce single-use plastic waste. The plan is to go to the council’s Environmental Committee for further discussion before reaching the City Administration Committee for final approval.

The action plan lays out various measures, including considering the feasibility of a citywide ban of certain single-use plastic items, the development of a plastic-free shopping zone, the instalment of more free top-up taps in public spaces to refill reusable water bottles, supporting projects to remove plastic waste from the city’s waterways, and studying the possibility of a plastic-free school. Aside from encouraging more environmentally sustainable ways of life at the individual level, the council intends to lead by example by calling for stricter legislation on single-use plastics.

Rolling out a far-reaching communication and education campaign is considered an essential part of the wider 2030 strategy.

“The action proposed in the strategy can help Glasgow maintain its position in the UK and across Europe as a leading local authority on sustainability issues,” said Andy Waddell, Director of Operations for the council’s Neighbourhoods and Sustainability Department.

An early report by the council’s Executive Director for Neighbourhoods and Sustainability, George Gillespie, drew attention to increasing public concern for the adverse environmental effects of plastic waste and called for local solutions.